Internal-combustion engine



Apr. 16; 1923. 1,451,648

H. D. CHURCH INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 5., 3.920 I3 she@sshefmy Il.

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l Harald/12. lu/P071 l; Mfanwa H. D. CHURCH I NTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Apr. .10, 1923.

Filed June 5,

1920 5 sheets-sheeb 2 lull-Imm f I. l1

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INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Jung 5, 1920 5 sneets-snew Iii/ve no Haifa Zd Yi/iwi" 0222;.

y mf tm 4 Patented Apr. l0, 1923.

' UNITED STATE-s PATENT carica.

HAROLD D. CHURCH, O F FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASIGNOR :'.lOTHE-LOC-OMOBILE COMPANY, OF lBRIDGEPORI, CONNECTICUT, CORPORATION F DELAWARE i 'Application led June 5,

To all whom t may concern: l l

Be it known that I, HAROLD DfCHURoH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fairfield, county of Fairfield, and State l of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Internal Combustion Engines, lof Vwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like oharacterson the drawl 0 in representing ,like parts.

tion engines, bein more particularly con# cerned with the va ve-iu-the-head type, and aims to improve the valve mechanism and 15 to renderthe latter as silent as possible. My

invention -will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying draw'- i s of one specific' embodiment thereof, w 4ile its scop'e will be more particularly pointed out in' the'v appended claims.

In the drawings: F 1 is a vertical eross-sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 3, showing an internal oom- B bustion engine exemplifying my invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal .sectional l'view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical 4sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and 3 Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view online 44 4 of Fig. 1'.

` Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment of my invention which I4 have select-ed for exemplication. I have shown an internal combustion. engine having a cylinder 5 supported on a suitable base, herein a crank case 6 which houses a crank shaft 7, the latter being provided with a eran-k pin 8 connected by a connecting rod 9, a wrist pin 10 and a piston 1l working in the cvlf inder. -Th'e engine may have any suitable number of cylinders but in the present example l have shown in F ig. 2 the inlet and exhaust ports for only two. The cylinder is provided with a cylinder head 12. which in the present embodiment is separable therefrom and is secured thereto by studs 13 and 14 provided respectively with nuts l5 and 16 (see upper portion of Fig. 14). The cylinder headis proyided with an inlet passage 17 terminating in a port -18 leading to a`-combustion chamber 19` and controlled byan inlet vali-"e 20 of the puppet type provided with a stem 21 working in-v al. guide 22. The cylinder head is further profgjj INTERNALTCOMBUSTION ENGINE.

his invention relates to internal combus- .su ported b abl) the brackets 33 in 1920. serial No. ssasvs.

vided with .an exhaust passage 23 (see Fig. 2) communlcatin by way of a port 24 with. the ,combustion ciamber 19, and controlled by a .valve 25 provided with a stem 26 also: mounted 1n a suitable guide identical with 09 that of the inlet valve. In fact, the inlet 1 and exhaust valves and their actuating mechanlsms are identical, and hence 'it is deemed necessary to s how'and describe only the inlet valve mechanism. 65 lieferung now to the inlet valve 20, the latter 1s rovided'with ausualclosin spring 2.7 seate Vat itsl lower end aganstt e cuplike. sprlng seat 28, and; at its upper 'end against a similarly sha d washer 29, the latter bemg secured to t e valve stem 21 by a'usual key 30. The sprin closes-the valve and' holds the same closed in the usual manner until is opened by the valve actuating mechanlsm now to be described.-

The valve actuatin mechanism comprises a rocking lever 31 fu crumed on av pivot 32 a bracket 33, which is prefery secure to thec'ylinder head 12 by the studs 14 and nuts 16. hereinbefore described, 80

rwhich assist in securing the cylinder head 12 to the cylinder 5. Additional studs 34 and nuts. 35 may be provided to assist in securing l place, these studs, however, terminating 1n the cylinder head. 85 Preferably, the studs 14 also serve to hold in place on the cylinder head a cover 36 which houses the mechanism and excludes foreign matter therefrom, While'at the same time tending 'to deade'n the sound ofthe movin 90 parts. The stud 14 is to this end provided with a reduced threaded stem 37, onto which is screwed a nut 38 having a sleeve 39 which kturns in an opening 40 provided in the cover 36.` Preferably the nut is provided with an enlarged handle portion 41 to facilitate rotation thereof without the use of a wrench.

A spring collar 42 received in an annular groove -43 in the sleeve 39 prevents accidental detachment of the nut 38 from the 100 cover 36. The latter .may be removed from its place to expose the mechanism by simply rotatingl the nut 38 in the proper direction to unscrew it from the stem 37 ofthe stud 14.

The rocking lever 31 has a short arm 44 105 and a long ,arm 45, the latter herein being provided with asuitably rounded end 46 resting;` upon the :upper end of the valve stem 21. -The shorter arm in the present ex-4 ample carriesastud passing through the rod as by providing the latterwith a tapered.

shank 61 received in a4 correspondingly shaped socket 62 and suitably held therein as b a pin 63.

Tie push rod extends lengthwise of the cylinder at one side of the latter andfinay be actuated b suitable means, herein a usual cam shaft v4i having a cam 65 cooperating in an appropriate. manner with the push rod. In thepresent embodiment, an operative connection between the cani and push rod is furnished by a rocking lever 66 which presents a. wiper 67 cooperating with the edge of thecam. Suitable pivotal connection with the push rod is made, asby a ball and socket joint herein comprising a ball 68 formed on the lower end of the push rod and received in a socket 69 formed on the lever. It should l of course, be understood that in practice' the cam shaft will be driven by and in suitablyl timed'relation with the crankshaft 7 in any usual manner. y

The upper portionof the lever 66vextends through an aperture 70 provided in the upper part of the crank case 6, on which the\ lever is suitably mounted as by the provision of a fulcruin comprising a pivot lpcarried b v an appropriate support 72, which in the present example is in the form of a yoke or comb-like structure common toa plurality of the levers 66, as shown in Fig. 4. it being provided with a series of recesses or notches' 7 3 in which the levers are received. The sup# port herein is secured to the crank case by a series of studs 74 having their lower ends suitably secured to the crank case as by nuts 75. These studs extend in an upward direction through the support- 72 and are provided thereabove with nuts 76 and lock washers T7 by means of which the supports are detachably secured in place. By first removing the push rods and then removing these nuls the supports 72 and lever 76 may be withv".lrawn in an upward direction.

Preferably some of the studs 74 also serve. to assist in holding in place a cover plate 7S which houses the push rods and levers, protects them from the entrance ot foreign'matter, provides an enclosure forthe oil mist from'the cranlufase. and deadens thesound of the working parts. llach ofthe studs to this end is provided with a threaded extension T9 on which is threaded a sleeve-like nut 60, the latter extending through an opening 8l provided in a laterally oil'sct portion S2 on the cover plate. 4Exteriorlyl of the latter, the nut is provided with a head 83 which rests upon a boss or shoulder 8l on the cover plate. It should be Vobserved that the stud 79 terminates within the chamber formed by the cover plate, hence when the-sleevelike nuts S0 are unserewed and withdrawn in an upward direction from the opening 81, the studs present no ,obstruction to the removal of the cover plate ina liorizontalfoutward direction, yet the arrangement is such that thev studs and nuts normally cooperate to force the cover plate in a downward direc,- tion toward the crank case. The cover plate is forced in an inward direction against the cylinder 5 by suitable means, herein a plurality of horizontal studs` 8% threaded into the cylinder casting and prvided with nuts 86. 'lo insure a tight joint between the cover plate and cylinder casting on the one and, and between the cover z plate and the crank case on the other hand, I preferably provide :ngasket having a vertical ortion-ST anda horizontal'portion 88, that 1s t'o say the gasket is right-angled or L-shaped.

In the use of engines of the valve-in-the head type, diticulty"s had in securing quiet action of the vulve mechanism, this being due largely to the fact that the expansion of the cylinder is greater than that of the push rods, the result being that lost motion develops in the-eonnections,.vsuch .as between'the valve stein and upper rocking lever, between the latter and the push rod and between the push cam: The present invention aims to silence vtlievalve mechanism by making suitable compensation for tlietendenc of the cylinder to elongate more than tlie push rods. 'lliis is accomplished. Vfirst, by making `the push lrods of a material having a relatively. high coellegut of expansion, such as aluminum or aluminum alloy; second, by bringing the exhaust gases in close proximity with the push rods' as by directing the exhaust against sleeves which encircle the rods; third by multiplying the effect of the expansion of the rods by making the filiera of the upper rocking levers nearer to the push rods than to the valve' stems: and fourth, by avoiding n'iultiplieation of cam errors b v the valve rockers, this being accomplished by the use of correspondingr rocking levers cooperating with the cams, the ratio of the leverage in the upper rm'ker finding a eorinders are usually made, the use of alunnnum push rods is a material factor in the elimination of lost motion due to expansion.

The second feature, as already intimated, contemplates bringin the hot exhaust gases into close proximity with thea" iish rods. In the presentembodiment this is accomplished. by surroundin each push rod with a sleeve 89 convenient y formed,... as a part of the cylinder head casting, and by earryin the exhaust passages 23 so close to these s eeves as to raise them and vthe enclosed push rods to asniciently high temperature to cause the ush rods to elongate an amount substantial y equal to the degree of elongation of the cylinders. This mini mizes or entirelyprevents the development of lost motion in the connections between the cams and the valve stems, a result which has long been sought but has heretofore been considered impossible of attainment.

Having thus described one embodiment of m invention but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and` desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports in its head. puppet valves con.

trolling said ports, respectively. and having stems extending in the same general direction as the axis of said cylinder, and

valve-actuating mechanism including rock-v ingl levers, one for each valve, and means for uti izing the engines exhaust automatically to cause the maintenance of a substantially.

constant predetermined relation between4 said levers and their respective stems ide s ite longitudinal expansion and contraction of said cylinder.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a port in its head, n puppet valve controlling saidv port and having a stem extending in the same general direction asthe axis of said c linder, and valveactiiating mechanism inc uding a rocking lever, and a push-rod ex tending lengthwise of said cylinder and o rating said lever and having a relatively high coefficient of expansion as compared with said cylinder.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports in its head, puppet val-vescontrolling said ports, respectively, und having stems extending in the same general direction as the axis of said cylinder, and valveactuating mechanism including rockin levers, one for eachV vulve, push-rods exten ing len thwise of said cylinder and operating sai levers, respectively, and means for predetermine re-.

combination of :i cylinder having a port in its head, a puppet 5 valve controlling said port and having a stein extending in-tlie same generaly direction as the axis of said cylinder. and valve-actuating mechanism including a rocking lever. av push-rod ex tendin len thwisev of 'said cylinder and operating said lever and having a relatively high coefficient of `lexpansion as compared with said cylinder, and means for directing hot exhaust gas into proximity with said pns`hrod.

5. In an internal combustion engine, `the combination of a cylinder having inlet yand exhaust ports in its head, puppet valves con-I trolling said ports, respectively, and having stems extending in the same general direction as the axis of said cylinder, and valveactuating mechanism including rocking levers, one for each valve. push-rods extending lengthwise of said cylinder and operating said levers, res iectively, and means for directing hot exhaust gas into proximity with said push-rods.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports in its head. puppet valves controlling'said ports. respectively. and hav ing stems extending in the snmegeneraldirection as the axis of siiid cylinder. and 'valve-actuating mechanism including rocking levers, one for each valve. push-rods extending lengthwise o said cylinder and operatingl said levers. respectively. sleeves encircling said push-rods, respectively. and means for directingI hot exhaust gais against said sleeves.

7. In an internal combustion engine ot.

HAROLD l). CHURCH. 

